The newest F1 race on the 2014 calendar is the inaugural GP on the Sochi Autodrom (hence my impeccable Russian at the start of this article). A 5.853 km lap and the race will be held over 53 laps.
The circuit is in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The circuit is similar to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the Sydney Olympic Park Circuit in that it will run around a venue used for Olympic competition; in this case, the Sochi Olympic Park site, scene of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The inaugural race is the first year of a seven-year contract and will be the third longest circuit on the F1 calendar, behind Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Silverstone in the UK.
Sochi F1
Qualifying is on Saturday at 6 p.m. Thai time, and the race is 6 p.m. on the Sunday.
We will be watching from our perches at Jameson’s Irish Pub (Soi AR, next to Nova Park) and even though the racing commences at 6 p.m. join us around 5 p.m. for dinner (I do recommend the roasts), and a beer and a chat before the race begins. We watch on the giant screen, with the dedicated F1 channel which is of top value and there are no adverts during the race!